Adjustable mattress and bed pan for use therewith



3,129,438 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PAN FOR USE THERE-WITH Filed Oct.30. 1961 R. C. HALL April 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rex Cr eae// HGV/ATTORNEY R. C. HALL April 21, 1964 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PAN FORUSE THEREWITH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed QCt. $0. 1961 Rex Crede// HaINVENTOR.

Arr A E V United States Patent 3,129,438 ADJUSTABLE MATTRESS AND BED PANFOR USE THEREWITH Rex Credeii Hall, 1922 West Ave. J, San Angelo, Tex.Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,326 3 Claims. (Cl. -90) This inventionrelates to an adjustable mattress and bed pan for use therewith and moreparticularly to a mattress and bed pan arrangement for use in hospitalsand elsewhere under circumstances in which it is necessary to maintain apatient in a substantially immobile condition.

The invention finds particular application in connection with the careand attending to patients who are required to remain in bed andespecially under conditions which make it necessary for such patients tomake use of a bed pan.

Heretofore in the care of bed patients under conditions requiring theuse of bed pans, it has been necessary that such a patient assume anawkward and frequently uncomfortable position because of the lack of anyprovision for properly positioning the bed pan at a convenient level foruse. At times it is ditficult or even dangerous to elevate such patientsor to substantially change the patients position for the purpose ofplacing a bed pan in proper position for the patients use, and underconditions in which the patient may be moved sufliciently to enable thebed pan to be placed beneath the patient, the patient must often assumean awkward and undesirable position resulting in great discomfort withattendant danger of displacement of the pan or soiling of the bed.

Various devices have been proposed heretofore for facilitating thepositioning of bed pans beneath the patient to avoid moving the patientor causing discomfort, such as the provision of mattresses with openingstherethrough located to receive the bed pan or having removable portionsfor accomplishing this purpose, but such expedients have not provensatisfactory, due to the necessity of disturbing the patient orsubstantially shifting the patients position and also because of thedifficulty of inserting and removing the pan where such means isemployed.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of amattress having portions which may be easily adjusted withoutsubstantially moving a patient occupying the mattress to facilitate thepositioning of a bed pan beneath the patient in a location forconvenient use Without discomfort to the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mattress which islongitudinally divided, centrally throughout a portion of its length toform sections which may be spread apart laterally to provide for theinsertion of a bed pan between the sections beneath a patient.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a bed pan which isshaped for insertion between the sections of the mattress of theinvention to hold the sections in open position and to be supported onthe bed springs in a position for comfortable use by the patient.

The above and other important objects and advan tages of the inventionmay best be understood from the following detailed description,constituting a specification of the same when considered in conjunctionwith the annexed drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a perspective viewillustrating a mattress constructed in accordance with the invention andshowing the same in closed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, illustrating themattress in closed condition and showing a mattress cover enclosing thesame;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view on an enlarged scaleillustrating a portion of the mattress of the invention, and showingdetails of the structure of the cover or sheet thereon;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, showing the mattress ofthe invention in open condition with the bed pan inserted therein;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the bed pan of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view on a slightly reduced scale of the bedpan illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Referring now 'to the drawings in greater detail, the mattress and bedpan of the invention are adapted for use in connection with a bed ofconventional construction such as a hospital bed having bed springs ofthe general type, such as those shown at S in FIGURE 4. Beds of thistype are provided with matresses which are usually of one piece,generally rectangular or box-like construction, to conform substantiallywith the frame of the bed springs. When a bed furnished with a mattressof this type is occupied by a patient for whom a bed pan must beprovided, there is no way in which such a pan can be positioned beneaththe patient without moving the patient, and the patient must assume anawkward and uncomfortable position using such a pan.

The mattress of the invention generally designated 16 is preferably ofthe box type having the usual over-all generally rectangular shape andwhich is centrally, longitudinally divided for a portion of its lengthto provide a main body portion 17 and smaller portions or sections 18and 20 attached to the main portion 17, and which may be positionedparallel as shown in FIGURE 1 when in ordinary use, or moved apartangularly as seen in FIGURE 4, to provide an opening of substantially Vshape between the portions 18 and 26 to permit the convenient insertionand removal of a bed pan between the sections.

The mattress of the invention will usually be provided with a fittedsheet, such as the sheet 22, illustrated in FIGURE 2, which is shaped tobe fitted over, down and to extend beneath the mattress, including themovable portions 18 and 20 and which is provided with buttonhole likeopenings 24 and 26, shown in FIGURE 2, through which tabs or straps 28and 36 attached to the free ends of the portions 18 and 20 respectively,may be extended, when the sheet is placed on the mattress. The tabs orstraps 28 and 30 are provided with a snap fastening, such as thatindicated at 32, 34, by which the tabs may be releasably fastenedtogether to hold the portions 18 and 20 of the mattress againstseparation.

The sheet 22 may be provided with a reinforcing flap 38 at the locationwhere the portions of the sheet which cover the portions 18 and 20 ofthe mattress are joined together, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, to preventtearing of the sheet, and the sheet may also be fitted with elastic, orthe like, not shown about its marginal portions, to cause the same toclosely fit the mattress when applied thereto.

The mattress, constructed as described above, will in normal use beplaced on the bed springs with the portions 18 and 20 in closedposition, as illustrated in FIG- URE 1. The sheet 22 may then be fittedon the mattress and the tabs 28 and 30 extended through the buttonholeopenings 24 and 26 respectively, the tabs being then fastened togetherby the snap fastener elements 32 and 34 to hold the mattress in closedcondition. When it is desired to place a bed pan in convenient positionfor use by the patient, the snap fastener may be released and theportions 18 and 20 of the mattress spread apart, as illustrated inFIGURE 4, to permit the positioning of the bed pan on the bed springsbetween the sections 18 and 20.

The bed pan of the invention is particularly designed for convenient usewith the above described mattress structure, the bed pan being generallyindicated in FIG- URES 4, 5 and 6 by the numeral 40, and being ofgenerally triangular pan shape, having a triangular bottom 42 withupwardly extending side walls 44, 46 and 48 which are connected togetherat the corners of the pan by outwardly rounded surfaces. The bed pan isformed with an outturned peripheral flange 48 about the top of the pan,which flange is formed with widened portions 50 along the side 44 and46, positioned to extend over the upper surfaces of the mattressportions 18 and 20 in engagement therewith, when the bed pan is inposition in the mattress, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, with the walls 44and 46 in engagement with the inner faces of the portions 18 and 20, tohold these portions in their spread apart positions.

It will be apparent that due to the generally triangular shape of thebed pan, and the outwardly widened portions 50 of the rim or flange 4-8of the pan, the pan is easily inserted between the portions 18 and 20when the same are moved apart and the widened rim portions 50,

50 form surfaces engageable with the body of the patient to maintain thepan in position, and to hold the same in tight engagement with themattress. By thus construct ing the bed pan and mattress with the walls4-4, 46 and 48 of the bed pan of substantially the same height as thethickness of the mattress, it will be apparent that the bed pan will beclosely fitted to the mattress and will serve to hold the mattressagainst bulging, buckling or distortion when the bed pan is in use, thusgreatly adding to the patients comfort. Moreover, by the use of themattress and bed pan combination of the invention, it is unnecessary tolift the patient in placing the bed pan in position, and due to the factthat the bed pan is of substantially the same height as the thickness ofthe mattress, the patient will be held in a comfortable position duringuse of the pan.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides an adjustable mattressand bed pan combination for use in hospital beds which is of simple andeconomical construction, by the use of which the care of patients isgreatly facilitated.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with certain specificstructural features and arrangement of the parts, but it will beunderstood that these are intended by way of illustration only and thatvarious modifications can be made in the construction of the pan andmattress within the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed withtwo laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections whose adjacentsides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to bemoved horizontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides ofthe sections in angularly spaced relation andsa bed pan having sideportions of substantially the same height as the thickness of themattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to bepositioned between the sections with said forward end directed towardsaid one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides tohold the sections apart, said pan also having a continuous external rimat the top of the pan formed with portions which are laterally widenedtoward said forward end in position to extend over the upper surfaces ofthe sections.

2. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed withtwo laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections whose adjacentsides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to bemoved hori zontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides ofthe sections in angularly spaced relation and a bed pan having sideportions of substantially the same height as the thickness of themattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to bepositioned between the sections with said forward end directed towardsaid one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides tohold the sections apart, said pan also having external rim portionsalong the top edges of said side portions whose width increaseslongitudinally of said side portions toward said forward end.

3. In combination a mattress of generally rectangular shape formed withtwo laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending sections Whose adjacentsides are connected together at one end to permit the sections to bemoved horizontally to position the sections with the adjacent sides ofthe sections in angularly spaced relation and a bed pan having sideportions of substantially the same height as the thickness of themattress which converge toward the forward end of the pan adapted to bepositioned between the sections with said forward end directed towardsaid one end of said sides in position for engagement with said sides tohold the sections apart, said pan also having a continuous external,peripheral rim about its top and formed with portions whose widthincreases longitudinally toward said forward end along said sideportions positioned for engagement with the upper surfaces of thesections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS307,717 Gunold Nov. 4, 1884 759,882 Hall et al. May 17, 1904. 938,968Caldwell Nov. 2, 1909 1,700,535 Kaufmann Jan. 29, 1929 2,577,595 TobiasDec. 4, 1951 2,644,957 Schudde July 14, 1953 2,879,523 Klassen et al.Mar. 31, 1959 2,932,830 Lund Apr. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 186,225Germany June 12, 1907

1. IN COMBINATION A MATTRESS OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE FORMED WITHTWO LATERALLY ADJACENT, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SECTIONS WHOSE ADJACENTSIDES ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER AT ONE END TO PERMIT THE SECTIONS TO BEMOVED HORIZONTALLY TO POSITION THE SECTIONS WITH THE ADJACENT SIDES OFTHE SECTIONS IN ANGULARLY SPACED RELATION AND A BED PAN HAVING SIDEPORTIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HEIGHT AS THE THICKNESS OF THEMATTRESS WHICH CONVERGE TOWARD THE FORWARD END OF THE PAN ADAPTED TO BEPOSITIONED BETWEEN THE SECTIONS WITH SAID FORWARD END DIRECTED TOWARDSAID ONE END OF SAID SIDES IN POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDES TOHOLD THE SECTIONS APART, SAID PAN ALSO HAVING A CONTINUOUS EXTERNAL RIMAT THE TOP OF THE PAN FORMED WITH PORTIONS WHICH ARE LATERALLY WIDENEDTOWARD SAID FORWARD END IN POSITION TO EXTEND OVER THE UPPER SURFACES OFTHE SECTIONS.